With Wild Abandon
by infinity-for-eternity
Summary: A series of ficlets surrounding the joy that are Jo and Laurie. These will all be standalone drabbles with little to no continuity between them. Some might even segway a bit into AU territory.
1. With Wild Abandon

Author's Note: Exactly what the summary says. I'll try to post a drabble a day for the whole month of February but knowing my penchant for writer's block, that might be me being really optimistic. But hey, hope runs the world, right? :D

"Genia Loretta Callahan. A mouthful of a name for a mouthful of a girl. Since she was born, she was brash…erratic even. One second a whirlwind and in two seconds, a tornado. A rascal with perpetually scraped knees and a smile too big for her thin, freckled face, she was…"

_No, no, NO!_ Jo scratched out the whole paragraph before finally crumpling up the paper and throwing it behind her chair before slumping down in a defeated sigh. This lively little Genia Loretta, dancing in her imagination with imp like grace and mischief refused to be written down as told! It was ridiculous how much control characters of her OWN creation had over her! If only they would behave! She could just SEE Genia Loretta dancing in a field with wild abandon, with only the wind whistling a jovial tune in her ears. The mental image brought a slight smile to Jo's mouth. The little scamp reminded her quite a bit about another girl she once knew very well, one who refused to be anything BUT obstinate and carefree…

_Ten Years Ago_

'Race you to the fence Laurie, try and keep up this time, will you?' the girl yelling the words over the wind this time was considerably older than Genia Loretta, though she still had the smile too big for her face and the same flyaway hair.

'How on earth do you expect me to keep up with a colt?' a puffing Laurie sniped as he trudged up the hill.

_Why, oh why did his masculine ego allow him to compete in a race against Jo? _

A great big laugh came from high above him and he could see the smile that made his heart skip a beat mirthing over and egging him onwards. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, and a determined glint coming to his dark eyes, Laurie suddenly took off on a gallop. By that time, Jo had turned her back to him and was more skipping towards the house.

_She had this race in the bag! That poor young Laurence, what woe to be him right now!_

All of a sudden she is tumbling backwards as a large pair of hands with surprisingly dainty fingers yank her towards the ground. And then she's lying on the grass, looking up into the shining dark eyes of the one and only Laurie Laurence, her smile wiped clean off as he heaves deep breaths.

'What do you have to say for yourself now, Miss March? I am going to lose, am I?'

Now he's the one laughing his heart out and rather than increasing Jo's ire by the second, as she would have expected, the delightful chortles just increases her desire to make certain that the shadow of darkness that often crosses his handsome features, never, _ever _make a reappearance.

_He is her Laurie after all, and if perpetually scraped elbows and knees are what it takes to keep her boy from ever having to face that darkness, well, it was a small price to pay. _


	2. What happens in Vevey

Author's Note: A wishful fantasy of what could have happened in Vevey in spring 1870 had Aunt March taken Jo along for the Europe tour after all.

* * *

Vevey, 16 May 1870. Jo accompanies Aunt March as the distinguished lady walks in crisp, short bursts of energy. All her years had not managed to weigh her down. As much as Jo could find differences between herself and her aunt, she knew her obstinacy was squarely inherited from the older woman. Jo unconsciously twirled her skirts a little in happiness as a smile played on her lips. Vevey in spring was absolutely magnificent and she could not have asked to be enjoying herself more anywhere else.

"Come now Josephine, do not dilly-dally. We have to cover two more sights today before the sun sets," Aunt March half-scolded. Jo shook her head slightly to come out of her reverie, the smile still on her lips and cocked back her hat slightly with one hand before increasing her strides to catch up to her aunt.

As they both rounded a picturesque little corner with a book store, where the noon sun didn't shine all the way through the shop's hanging roof, Jo abruptly stopped in her tracks. Through the large shop window, she saw a very familiar tall figure with a dark, handsome head looking intently down at a book. Forgetting propriety, Aunt March, even the fact that she had turned down the young Laurence's proposal last year and regretted that decision every day of her life since then, she felt magnetically drawn inside the store.

"Josephine! What exactly do you think you are doing?" Aunt March's reproach sounded muffled as Jo kept walking towards her boy, her heart thudding in her ears. She came to a halt just inches behind his form, hardly daring to breathe as she waited for something, while the roaring in her ears seemed to increase as her eyes filled with tears…

* * *

Laurie had had an awful few months and only recently was it starting to feel like he might finally be part of the land of the living again. Today especially, for he didn't know what reason, he woke up and was actually looking forward to the day. Truly, it was almost impossible to be miserable on such a beautiful day in such a beautiful town. He had almost given up reading since the dreaded incident that happened August of last year, because books, _all books _reminded him too much of her. However, today he felt like going to a book store to pick up one of his constant childhood companions again. To smell the crisp, parchment scent of a hardcover as he caressed the leather binders, for it had been much too long.

The best book store recommended by the hotel concierge was a half an hour walk and Laurie was grateful for the small distance he had to cross to reach the shop, as the sunshine smiled down on him. It was truly a glorious day! As he reached the store, he stopped the jaunty tune he was whistling and walked in. Looking through the beautiful arrays of bound works, he picked one up that struck his fancy. The blurb summarising a rags-to-riches story about a plucky, conscientious young protagonist reminded him of a certain little woman he once knew. One who still haunted his dreams every night, even after many months.

As he turned the first page and started looking through the book, trying to forget the image of the laughing, willowy, wild-haired girl dancing in his mind's eye, he sensed a presence behind him. He kept the book down and turned around.

_One heartbeat, two heartbeats, three…_was he hallucinating? Because the girl dancing in his vision a moment ago was right here, even though there was no way that was possible. Was it a mirage? Or was Laurie Laurence finally losing his mind?

Not daring to hope against hope, he, with trepidation, touched her left cheek lightly, expecting her to vanish in thin air. But he touched soft skin instead, and then some of her tears, brimming over her eyes and falling against his hand. As time slowed down for both of them, Laurie felt like he was watching the scene unfold from outside his own body as he took half a step forward and cupped Jo's face with both of his hands, as his lips came crashing down on her own. And then he was back in his own body, tasting her tears as they fell on both their mouths and her mouth curved up despite the salty residue still escaping her closed eyes. A triumphant song playing in his heart, Laurie finally closed his own eyes as time and space came to a standstill and there was nothing else in the world except him and his Jo…

* * *

Author's Note: Yes, drabble number two appears a year plus from when promised. What can I say other than life takes over in a horrendous fashion sometimes and writer's block is the worst thing that can happen to any writer! Forgive me if you were waiting for this, although I doubt many were, given this fandom is 140 plus years old but anyway, another addition to the drabble series. Reviews and constructive criticisms always welcome and thanks for reading. No clue when the next instalment will be done and I can't make any promises unfortunately but hopefully soon!


End file.
